


from the passenger seat

by akanemnida



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-14 02:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14761226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akanemnida/pseuds/akanemnida
Summary: And though he's ridden his best friend's car more times than he can count, Minhyun still thinks that the passenger seat gives him the best view of Dongho at his happiest.(Or: Over the years, Minhyun finds that falling in love happens too easily in Kang Dongho's car.)





	from the passenger seat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eleveneleven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eleveneleven/gifts).



> And I am back! This time I wanted to write a friends-to-lovers multichapter in Minhyun's POV, and though I can't promise either (a) length or (b) regular updates (those who follow me on twitter know that my life is pretty much a mess), I do know where and how I want this story to go. Finding time and motivation to write has been difficult these days, but my love for Baekmin continues to fuel me to at least /try/ and provide content for the tag whenever I can.
> 
> (Originally planned to be My's birthday gift but it took way longer than planned--heck it's still unfinished--but though your birthday has passed, your love for the Galloper remains strong, and so does my resolve to one day finish this fic.)

 

 

 

_(He finds out about the car's existence during his first meeting with Dongho.)_

 

Moving from Busan to Seoul was really nothing short of terrifying. If anyone asked him a few months ago, he'd say that his biggest worry as a sixteen-year-old would be moving to a new high school and trying to make new friends. But one day, he got casted while eating chicken skewers out on the street with his classmates, and because being a singer had been his dream for too long, he'd agreed.

 

Signing the contract to be an idol trainee meant having to move to Seoul. Even though Busan was a pretty big city, it just wasn't the place to _be_ for those trying to make it in the entertainment industry. Rationally speaking, the move shouldn’t be too terrible; he'd grown up in the city and he was used to the hustle and bustle… but still. The nerves and butterflies in his stomach couldn’t be defeated by something as silly as _reason_. At sixteen, the pressure of having to pack his bags and move halfway across the country to live far away from his parents was a little overwhelming.

 

Meeting new people was low on the list of the things he'd liked doing. Not that he was extremely shy — just that he'd always been introverted, the type of person who preferred staying home and reading over expanding his social circle. Back in Busan he had his Sujin- _noona_ and a handful of close friends, and they had been more than enough. His introversion combined with the fact he'd been told that there’d already been other boys training for around a year before his arrival—

 

He hopes that he could make even just one friend. Really, just one would be enough.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

When he said he'd be okay with making _just one_ friend, he didn't _mean_ that he wanted there to be only one person in the dormitory.

 

"They went on vacation," the staff assigned to showing him to the dorms had told him. "They've been practicing for a while, so the boss let them go."

 

"Oh." Minhyun is mildly confused as to why he was told to come during a time when the boys were on break, which technically meant nothing productive was happening. It meant he could've stayed in Busan longer, if he wanted. It meant he could have stayed at home to figure out how to swallow his insecurities for longer, if he wanted.

 

"Well, does that mean I get the entire dorm to myself?"

 

"Ah, no. One of the kids didn't get to leave. He lives in Jeju; he wasn't able to book a flight to go home."

 

"That… kind of sucks." Truthfully, Minhyun couldn't relate: there were so many ways to go to Busan from Seoul. If he failed to book a flight ticket he could buy a train ticket, or a bus ticket, or maybe if he was feeling shameless he could ask his father to pick him up and then bring him home.

 

"Yeah. Dongho looks scary sometimes but he's just a nice boy. Except, these days, he's been—"

 

"Actually scary?"

 

"Something like that."

 

The dread in the pit of his stomach grows. The butterflies continue to flutter.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"So," Minhyun says tentatively, while poking his chopsticks awkwardly at the meal Dongho had prepared for him. "Um. Kang Dongho… _ssi._ What are your hobbies?"

 

“Why are you so formal? Drop that.” Dongho hums while considering Minhyun's question. "Is sleeping a hobby?"

 

Minhyun snorts. The other boy, though intimidating at first glance, turned out to be pretty funny. "Aside from that very boring hobby—"

 

"Don't call my hobbies boring!" Dongho retorts quickly, attempting to be stern but the mirth in his eyes was clear.

 

"Then tell me something more interesting!" Minhyun says with a laugh. "I like to read, and I also like to watch dramas."

 

Dongho scrunches his nose. "Ew. Books. You're boring too, Minhyun-ah."

 

"At least I don't claim being unconscious as a hobby," he deadpans. He fails to ignore the way Dongho suddenly became overly familiar, calling him Minhyun-ah within just one day, but maybe someone who would go all the way and prepare lunch for someone he just met could be considered as an instant friend. "Hey, thanks so much for the food."

 

"Mmm, help yourself, it’s no problem. Mom and Dad sent the side dishes over and rice is easy enough to make," Dongho says. "But I’m shit at making main dishes, so—”

 

“It’s alright, I swear. I can’t cook either.”

 

“And, well, speaking of my dad—"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"My hobby. Dad's car. Learning more about it, playing with it, fixing it," Dongho answers brightly. Minhyun is awed by the difference in his first impression and the upbeat, smiley Dongho he was seeing now. "I haven't tried driving it yet, but I think dad will finally let me soon."

 

"That's actually kind of cool, you're officially not boring." Minhyun looks up to see Dongho scowling at him. He sticks his tongue out in response. "You should teach me how to drive once you've figured it all out."

 

"Tell you what, Minhyun-ah," Dongho says. "Since you took it back and you admitted that I'm not boring, I'll even let you be the first one to ride shotgun once that car is mine."

 

He laughs. His chest feels lighter, butterflies finally _gone;_ fears and insecurities seemingly melting away because of this other boy he just met. He really didn't expect to find someone to comfortably banter with within a few months, let alone within just a few hours of arriving in Seoul. 

 

"Sure. Three years from now. I'll hold you to that, I guess."

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos keep me motivated. If you want to reach me, find me on twitter (@akanemnida).


End file.
